TRAMWAYS EXTENSIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 October 1920, Page 5

TRAMWAYS EXTENSIONS.

THE TRACKLESS SYSTEM MAINTENANCE AND ROAD-WEAR. Particulars of the trackless tramway system in regard to the weight of cars, elinot on roads, and cost of maintenance were placed before the New Plymouth Borough Council last evening by the tramways manager (Mr, Bartleyj! The information had been asked for. bv Cr. Griffiths.

The engineer's report stated:-The weight of a 30 passenger trackless vehicle is approximately 4 tons 10 cwt. (empty), whereas a 22 passenger storage battery vehicle weighs approximately 3 tons 15 cwt. (empty), and a storage battery vehicle of 30 passenger capacity would be considerably heavier than for the trackless. There is also a big difference in the effects of weights carried, relative to wear on roads and equipment, and we have a very much larger proportion of live weight with the trackless vehicle, which is decidedly in its favor. From the designs and drawings which I have, great care has been given to the even distribution of this weight, with the object of minimising the wear on both roads and equipment, and this can be accomplished to a muc> greater extent with the trackless than with the storage battery vehicle, owing to the absenee of the battery, which forms a large proportion of the total weight of the vehicle. The trackless vehicles draw their power from overhead trolley '.Vires, as previously explained, and with the following advantages: (a) Much greater power is available in case of need, as the vehicle his the whole power station at the back of it; (b) the efficiency is very much higher, and no labor is necessary in connection with changing, boosting, charging, and maintenance of batteries; ( c ) the dead weight of the battery, which is an important feature, is entirely eliminated. Cost.—My reports deal comprehensively with this matter, and for a given time-table it will be seen that live storage battery vehicles are required as against three trackless vehicles to do the same work, and in this proportion, under the existing conditions, the total cost will be greater with The storage battery than with the trackless vehicles. If one considers these vehicles of equal carrying capacity separately, the storage battery vehicle is the cheaper in regard to actual cost, on account of the overhead equipment being necessary before the trackless vehicle ctm be operated. Comparison on these lines, however, !• not equitable, as the same overhead cables will serve any number of vehicles and consequently reduce the cost in proportion. Further, the one trackless vehicle is capable of much morp work and deductions in coat must be made on this account. The only fair way to make comparisons is on the lines adopted by assuming one's maximum requiremerits and applying each system to it. Upkeep of Roads.—My reports do not deal with upkeep of roads, but it would be folly to suppose that one could operate these or any other vehicles, runnin" directly on the roads, without due wear and tear. The electrically-driven vehicle has, however, much in its fafor in this respect, and this is clearly demonstrated by the mileage which is got out of the tyres With our present elsctrlc story ' 3US are averaging orer I«, 000 miles per set of tyres, and for the 30 passenger trackless vehicle 20,000 miles is claimed, and I am of opinion that this liguer will be somewhere near the mark, on account of the very superior springing and weight distribution. I have recently received the 1919 bal-ance-sheet of the Leeds trackless system, also figures from Rotherham, and in each case the proportion under the heading of road maintenance approximates .22(1 to .3d per car mile for an annual mileage of approximately 185,000, or amounting to approximately £155 per year, 1 understand that the cost of maintenance of roads in England in 1910 would be somewhere near the cost of the same work in New Zealand, and it may be possible from this to draw some comparisons.

Maintenance of Vehicles.—ln the matter of consolidating with the present RJ stem, this is a feature with the trackless vehicle. The whole of the work m connection iwith maintenance of vehicles and over-head equipment would come under sjnd he carried out by the tramway department. The clerical work, including ticket check system, ■would also be done by the tramway depot office—in fact the whole of the workings, just the same as if it were a tramway extension, which it really is. The routes as decided traverse very little of the existing tramways route', and in compiling the time-tables care would be taken that the headways will not clash with the main system, which would give a quicker service over certain sections in the town, and it is not likely that a service running between the railway station, Westown, and Vogeltown would rob the main system, but on the contrary, would add to it.